C30 Class 4-6-4 Hudson Tanks and 4-6-0 Tender Locos

The C30 locos were built to cater for the Sydney suburban network,
but were gradually displaced with the advent of electrification in
the 1920's (1926/27, according to correspondent Peter Brigden, who
remembers seeing these dates on early power cars in use as late as
the 60's and 70's). Many were converted into 4-6-0 tender
locomotives (the C30T Class), but some survived for use as
shunters, and on short country branches.

The "T" classification suffix for the tender
version is somewhat unfortunate, as it conflicts with usage
elsewhere in the world. Road numbers were not changed on
conversion.

Terry Bell writes:

Having watched steam locos at Thirroul marshalling yards as a
lad I remember the 30 class locos as a tanker being used on
the "workers trains " from Pt. Kembla North station to
Thirroul till the early 60s, also I could watch them trying
to get up out of the Newbolds Bricks siding with waggons of
bricks - priming all over the local washing.

A great site - my grandfather Claude Bell was Stationmaster at Helensburgh
station in the 50s and I could tell every loco by its exhaust
note climbing through through the cutting, my biggest thrill -
as a 12 year old hopping a lift on a 30 class while it changed
direction at Helensburgh station and trying to pull the throttle
lever down!

C30 Class 4-6-4 Hudson Tanks

3024

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Date : Aug 1966, catalogued 24 Apr 2013

Photographer : Graeme Skeet

Medium : B&W negative Instamatic

Description : 3024 waits to take a train to Campbelltown from Liverpool in August 1966.

Image :
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Date : Aug 1966, catalogued 24 Apr 2013

Photographer : Graeme Skeet

Medium :

Description : 3024 eases through platform 2 at Liverpool to take up
passenger duties. August 1966.

Image :
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Date : Aug 1966, catalogued 24 Apr 2013

Photographer : Graeme Skeet

Medium :

Description : 3024 waits to shunt at Liverpool as the afternoon Moss
Vale passenger glides into the platform going south. August
1966.

3025

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Date : 1966, catalogued 25 Apr 2013

Photographer : Graeme Skeet

Medium :

Description : 3025 heads south between Merrylands and Guildford,
slightly faster than the camera shutter.

3042

Image :
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Date : 1966, catalogued 25 Apr 2013

Photographer : Graeme Skeet

Medium :

Description : 3042 arrives on the down into Liverpool, headed
eventually for Campbelltown.

3046

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Date : 16 Sep 1973, catalogued 18 Jan 1998

Photographer : John Hurst

Medium : Ektachrome, slide number 3364

Description : Two tanks that started their days pulling suburban trains around Sydney await their fate.

3134

Image :
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Date : Aug 1966, catalogued 24 Apr 2013

Photographer : Graeme Skeet

Medium :

Description : 3134 barrels between Merrylands and Guildford on the
regular weekday afternoon service from Clyde to Liverpool in 1966.

3135

Image :
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Date : Jun 1966, catalogued 24 Apr 2013

Photographer : Graeme Skeet

Medium : B&W negative Instamatic

Description : Taken at Merrylands of 3135 in June of 1966. This was
an enigma, every weekday afternoon this would leave from Clyde
around 3:45 and be all stops via Fairfield to Liverpool. A great
ride home from school!.

3137

Image :
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Date : 1973, catalogued 9 Jan 1998

Photographer : John Hurst

Medium : 3137 at Enfield, slide number 3358

Description : 3137 pauses after watering at Enfield on a special passenger train.

Image :
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Date : 1973, catalogued 18 Jul 1998

Photographer : John Hurst

Medium : Kodachrome, slide number 3348

Description : 3137 lets off steam after returning her train to Sydney Central.

Description : 3016 is a recent arrival in Canberra, and has had her boiler cladding stripped to assess the state of her boiler. Contrast her state of undress here with the above picture, taken some 17 and a half years later.

3026

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Date : Sep 1973, catalogued 21 Mar 1998

Photographer : John Hurst

Medium : Ektachrome, slide number 3359

Description : Enfield Loco, and 3026 quietly puts on a bit more rust. But she was rescued from the scrapper's torch, and is now with the Cowra Steam Museum.

Image :
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Date : 1986, catalogued 22 Oct 2000

Photographer : Stewart Hughes

Medium : email digital image, image location 3026-1

Description : Stewart writes:

It's mystery picture time - I have no idea where this
was taken other than it's in Queensland somewhere. Taken about
1986.

Well, I'm pretty sure it's not in Queensland, Stewart, but more likely at Cowra in NSW. See also
3026-1
. Subsequently, the mystery was resolved, see
Cowra-1
for the answer.)

3075

Image :
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Date : Jul 1993, catalogued 20 Jan 2001

Photographer : John Hurst

Medium : Kodachrome, slide number 18994

Description : 3075 preserved at Parkes as
The Spirit of Parkes
.

Image :
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Date : Jul 1993, catalogued 20 Jan 2001

Photographer : John Hurst

Medium : Kodachrome, slide number 18995

Description : 3075 preserved at Parkes as
The Spirit of Parkes
. Unfortunately the glass of spirits has been drained ...

This locomotive is owned by the ARHS, ACT Division, and was
used extensively on trips by the Division during the late 70s and
80s until boiler problems saw 3016 being used in this role
instead. As a "go anywhere" type of locomotive, it could be used
to visit all lines, although its limited water capacity meant the
addition of a water gin for many trips. Notwithstanding that, we
still managed to run out of water on a trip to Bombala!

Your photographer spent many happy hours between the frames
of this loco oiling round, not to mention being covered in ash,
smoke and grime from raking out the ashpan. This latter task was
often undertaken on the road, without an ashpit, due to the
shortage of such facilities once revenue steam workings finished
in NSW.

You will note the highly polished steam dome as evidence of
the attention lavished on "The Mouse", as 3102 is affectionately
known.

Bombala Trip of June long weekend, 1981

"Bombala Revisited" Trip of June long weekend, 1982

This was the last trip to Bombala by steam, and was made
notorious by the fact that the loco ran out of water on the return
journey, just south of the Monaro Plains. This had dire
consequences for those passengers who had hoped to make
connections at Queanbeyan with the Canberra pass., in order to get
back to Sydney!

The trip was also very memorable for the author, as he was on
footplate duty in the wee hours of the morning, shovelling coal
forward in the bitterly cold pre-dawn atmosphere. But the view
from the tender looking forward over the cab at the countryside as
it was sliced by the beam of the headlamp was absolutely magic,
and as haunting a scene as you could ever imagine!